Category: RECIPES

SLOW COOKER MOO SHU CHICKEN

SLOW COOKER MOO SHU CHICKEN 
1/2 cup Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white wine
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounce package coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots)
1 bag shredded carrots
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
green onions for garnish

  • Combine Hoisin sauce, water, sesame oil, soy sauce, wine, cornstarch and garlic.
  • In slow cooker place cabbage and carrots on the bottom.
  • Top with chicken pieces.
  • Drizzle 1/4 cup of the Hoisin sauce mixture.
  • Cover and cook on low 6 hours.
  • Stir in remaining Hoisin sauce mixture.
  • Serve over green onion pancakes.
  • Top with green onions for garnish.

GREEN ONION PANCAKES 6 servings
2 cups flour
1 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/4 cups chopped green onions including tops
fresh ground salt and pepper to taste

  • Sift flour into a bowl and make a well in the center.
  • Pour boiling water into the well.
  • Working quickly, use a wooden spoon and work water into the flour to make a stiff, but not dry dough. Knead lightly into a bowl.
  • Remove dough from the bowl and brush with sesame oil.
  • Invert bowl over dough and let cool 5 minutes.
  • Lightly knead dough until smooth and elastic.
  • Brush again with sesame oil and place in plastic bag.
  • Set aside for an hour.

 

  • Roll dough back and forth to form a log about 10 inches long.
  • Cut into 6 equal pieces.
  • Roll each piece into a ball.
  • Roll out each ball to a 7 inch pancake.
  • Brush with sesame oil.
  • Sprinkle with salt.
  • Top each pancake equally with green onions.
  • Roll into a tight coil.
  • Brush with sesame oil.
  • Using a rolling pin flatten into a thin 5 inch pancake trying to keep the onions on the inside.
  • Use enough coconut oil to make 1inch deep in a shallow skillet.
  • When oil is hot, cook pancakes until golden brown, turning once.
  • Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

APPLE PIE SNICKERDOODLES and my new FAVORITE ornament

One of my favorite ALL time cookies is the Snickerdoodle.  One of the most versatile cookies, in my opinion, is the Snickerdoodle. You can change up the flavor for whatever holiday – pumpkin pie spice for fall, apple pie spice for for Christmas or Easter…, decorate or not, but according to hubby plain is BEST. I LOVE this time of year with ALL the baking and fun treats!

I also love that Victoria and Dave send a new unique snowflake in their Christmas card and I just ADORE my new FAVORITE ornament that my friend brought over for me.  She saw it at a boutique and said it reminded her of me – such a sweet thought and absolutely beautiful ornament.

APPLE PIE SNICKERDOODLES
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
  • Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
  • Gradually add in flour mixture until well blended.

3-4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon apple pie spice

  • Combine sugar and apple pie spice until well blended.
  • Form cookie dough into small balls about walnut sized.
  • Roll each cookie ball in the sugar spice mixture and place on un-greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden.
  • Cool 2 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool completely.
  • Decorations are melted candy bark and sprinkle.

GINGERBREAD BARS

GINGERBREAD BARS
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons molasses
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 ounces crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped candied lemon

OPTIONAL frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter. room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and ground ginger. 
  • Toss flour mixture with lemon and ginger pieces. Set Aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine butter, sugar, molasses and egg, beating until creamy.
  • Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture until well blended.
  • Press dough into an un-greased jelly roll pan. (15x10x10).
  • Bake 16-24 minutes or until evenly golden brown.
  • Top with powdered sugar or cream cheese frosting.

MARINATED and SEASONED PRIME RIB

My mom and stepdad will be here tomorrow and we are doing the first of 3 Christmas dinners on Saturday.  This will be the most elaborate of the 3 since it is for the most people and my stepdad specifically asked for prime rib.  I went grocery shopping today to one of my very favorite markets and made my menu around their offerings.

Central Market has the most awesome butchers.  I was going to make my life easy and buy a boneless prime rib, but they didn’t have any the right size so I bought a bone in and the sweet man cut the bones off for me and then tied them back on so we will have AWESOME flavor AND the ease of boneless with a BONUS of the bones for a GREAT stew too.

PLUS this market has some great deals and fun new things to try. There was a demonstrator for these salad dressings and I was really hungry so I tried the salad they were offering and it was really good!  I picked up a couple bottles of two different flavors and put them in my cart.  As I began to leave she called out to me not to forget my free items.  Yep, EVERYTHING besides the 2 bottles of dressings was FREE! A retail value of $26.

This is my go to recipe for prime rib.  It never fails!   

MARINATED and SEASONED PRIME RIB
5 pound boneless beef rib roast
3/4 cup Mad Housewife Merlot wine or Velvet Devil Merlot
1 small Vidalia onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Avocado oil
*2 tablespoons  Savory Spice Shop Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend
*2 tablespoons  Penzey’s English Prime Rib Rub 
*1 teaspoon  Penzey’s OR Savory Spice Shop’s Horseradish powder

  • Whisk together the wine, water and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Place roast in a large plastic bag that has been placed in a shallow baking dish.
  • Pour marinade over roast and seal bag.
  • Marinate 6-8 hours, turning bag occasionally.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Place sliced onions in bottom of roaster.
  • Drain roast and discard marinade.
  • Rub roast generously with the avocado oil. Let roast sit on drainboard a moment to allow excess oil to drain off.  At this point wash your hands to remove the excess oil also so the rub will go on better.
  • Stir together the Hidden Cove Lemon Garlic Blend, English Prime Rib Rub and the horseradish powder until well mixed.
  • Sprinkle rub mixture over roast until well coated all the way around.
  • Place roast, fat side up on onion slices.
  • Insert oven thermometer.
  • Roast until desired doneness (we like medium rare which was 135 degrees and about 2 1/4 hours), but no more!
  • Transfer roast to cutting board and immediately tent with foil for 20 minutes before carving. This is the resting phase and mandatory to the perfect prime rib. During this phase your roast will raise another 10 degrees.

*If you want a thicker rub add more spices making sure to keep these proportions.

DO NOT SKIP THE RESTING PHASE!!

CINNAMON PUMPKIN PULL APART BREAD

I wish I could tell you where or who I got this recipe from because I would LOVE to thank them for this incredible bread and it is the PERFECT bread FOR FALL!  I modified it slightly, but we think t is even better. This is like a sideways monkey bread.

CINNAMON PUMPKIN PULL APART BREAD
Bread
2 + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground GOOD QUALITY cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup spiced rum

Buttered Rum Glaze
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon SPICED rum

  • In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of the butter until it is a dark golden brown. Be careful not to burn it.
  • Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the milk.
  • Return the pan to the burner and heat through, whisking regularly.
  • Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with a dough hook and allow it to cool to lukewarm (about 100-110 degrees F). 
  • Add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar. Allow to proof until it is foamy and the liquid cloudy – about 8-10 minutes.
  • Add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of the flour.
  • Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and just slightly sticky.
  • If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
  • Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean  cheesecloth towel.
  • Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
  • Pour rum over raisins and set aside to soak while bread rises.

  • While dough is rising, brown the other 2 tablespoons of butter. 
  • Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mixing well.
  • Set aside.
  • Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.
  • When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with your hands for 1-2 minutes.
  • Roll dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle.
  • Drain raisins well.
  • Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with the palms of your hands. 
  • Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. 
  • Top with rum soaked golden raisins.
  • Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds).
  • Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan.
  • Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
  • In the meantime preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown. 

  • To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan.
  • Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.
  • Drizzle over cake. 
  • Serve with a dollop of fresh whip cream.

BUFFALO CHICKEN PULL-APART BREAD

I found this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Pull-Apart Bread on Facebook, you know one of those that they show you in video form in 30 seconds or less AND looks really scrumptious?  I was thinking of making it as an appetizer when our son and family are here at Christmas time, but needed to test it first.

Well, this recipe did not disappoint.  I made some of my homemade Farmhouse Buttermilk Dressing to go with it and the combination was addicting! Instead of an appetizer we added a salad and made it a meal.

BUFFALO CHICKEN PULL-APART BREAD
2 packages Pillsbury pizza dough (I used 1 recipe of my homemade pizza dough)
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (I used original recipe Costco Rotisserie chicken)
1 cup Buffalo sauce (I used Frank’s Original Hot Sauce)
1/4 cup scallions, chopped (I used more, about double – we like onions)
2 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese (I used regular jack cheese)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 jalapeno, sliced (OPTIONAL – I didn’t use)
Ranch dressing for dipping (I used a batch of Farmhouse Buttermilk Dressing)

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • In a bowl toss together the chicken, buffalo sauce, green onions and half the cheese.
  • Roll out dough and cut into 3×3 inch squares (about 30 squares total). **SEE NOTE
  • Brush each square with the melted butter.
  • Top each square with a spoonful of chicken mixtures and then a sprinkling of the remaining cheese.
  • Brush loaf pan with butter.
  • Stack each square on top of each other in your loaf pan with the chicken side up.
  • Brush top of bread with remaining butter.
  • Top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake 40-50 minutes until golden and set.

NOTE:  The original recipe had you doing each square one at a time, but I found it much easier to do them all at once and then stack them in the loaf pan while it was standing on end for a more even and less messy build.

HONEY CARAMEL MACADAMIA TART

THE WEATHER IS FINALLY COOLING DOWN ENOUGH TO BAKE AGAIN!!! There is nothing like the aroma of tasty treats baking with roasted nuts and caramelizing sugar and honey – YUM!

HONEY CARAMEL MACADAMIA TART
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2  tablespoons water
1 large egg yolk

1/3 cup fragrant honey
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 1/2 ounces heavy cream
3 tablespoons dark rum
1/2 cup chopped walnut
1 cup macadamia nuts, breaking half of them into small pieces
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1½ teaspoons ground cloves
6 large egg yolks

  • Add flour and 3/4 cup unsalted butter in a food processor, processing to a sand-like consistency.
  • Add the one large egg yolk and water, processing again quickly.
  • Pour out and quickly bring together to form a disc. Layer it between two pieces of baking paper.
  • Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven 400°.
  • Roll the pastry out evenly and lay over a 10 inch loose-bottomed tart tin. NOTE: It is important that there are no gaps or breaks in the pastry anywhere or your filling will leak.
  • Chill for 10 minutes.
  • Line the inside of the tart tin with parchment paper.
  • Fill with a baking chain, baking weights or dried beans and bake for about 25 minutes, removing the weights and parchment paper for the last five minutes – the pastry shell needs to pick up a hint of golden color.
  • In a small saucepan whisk together the honey, molasses, stick of butter, cream and rum untill well blended and warm.
  • Set aside to cool.
  • Toss walnut pieces with macadamia nuts and both sugars with the ground cloves.
  • Lightly whisk the 6 egg yolks and then whisk them into the cooled honey mix.
  • Pour this over the nuts and sugar and blend well.
  • Place the tart tin on a lined baking tray to catch any drips and pour the filling into the pastry case.
  • Bake for 30 minutes or until well caramelized.
  • Carefully remove the tart from the oven and cool for 20-30 minutes. NOTE: the filling will be very hot straight from the oven.
  • Once cooled, use a sharp knife to cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream if you like.

HARVEST SOUP – CREAM of TURNIP PUMPKIN SOUP

HARVEST SOUP – CREAM OF TURNIP PUMPKIN SOUP
2 LARGE white turnips, peeled and cubed
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon avocado oil
2 cups chicken stock
1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1/3 cup heavy cream**
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Parmesan cheese

  • Sauté green onions and leeks in butter, stirring often until softened. 
  • Add potato and turnip cubes and sauté another 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the chicken stock and pumpkin puree. 
  • Add salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft. 
  • Puree soup in a food processor or blender. 
  • Return soup to saucepan, whisk cream and heat through 15-20 minutes.
  • Serve in hot bowls.
  • Top with bacon and cheese.

**NOTE: For a more inense flavor use 1 can Classic Coconut milk

RUSTIC CREAMY PARMESAN CHICKEN

I ALWAYS make a recipe as written the first time. You have to see what they were aiming for after all.  The next time through I make changes to appeal to my family’s taste as well as my ease and anything I feel will make the recipe MORE flavorful and/or MORE healthy.

I originally found this one on facebook and it was delicious, but hubby hated the bones so I now make it with boneless breasts. He also is NOT fond of wilted spinach so I cut back on the spinach and increased the parsley.  I also increased the garlic – A LOT!

RUSTIC CREAMY PARMESAN CHICKEN
4 chicken thighs, bone-in & skin-on  skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Wondra flour

2 teaspoons fresh ground Pink Himalayan sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon oil
3 6 cloves garlic, chopped minced
1 LARGE shallot, diced
½ Vidalia onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 2 cups fresh spinach
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2/3 1/2 cup grated powdered Parmesan
1/2 cup 2 tablespoons FLAT LEAF parsley, chopped

  • Generously season chicken with the salt and pepper.
  • Dredge in Flour until VERY well coated.
  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.
  • Sear chicken well on both sides. Move the chicken around from time to time to ensure it cooks evenly.
  • Remove chicken from the pan and keep warm.
  • Add garlic, shallot and onion, stirring until onions are translucent.
  • Add the heavy cream, salt, and pepper, bringing to a boil.
  • Stir in the tomatoes and spinach until the spinach is wilted.
  • Add the Parmesan cheese and parsley, stirring until the sauce has thickened slightly.
  • Place the chicken back in the pan, spooning the sauce on top of the chicken.
  • Serve with pasta!

APRICOT COFFEE CAKE ala KITCHEN MACGYVER

My neighbor calls me MACGYVER. No, not because of the new remake MacGyver (which BTW I don’t like near as well as the original, but wanted to because I like George Eads) or even because the original MacGyver with Richard Dean Anderson was one of my favorite shows growing up, but because I have this God given ability to look at mundane items or recipes and see what they COULD be.

She recently cut a recipe out of the paper and thought it sounded “interesting”. It didn’t really interest me AS IS, but for what my mind pictured it COULD be. Boy am I glad I took a chance on this remake of what turned out to be excellent when she made it AS IS, but even better with the tweaks I made to it.

It was originally called Date and Cardamom Cake with Coffee Frosting by Meera Sodha.  I kept the basic recipe template, but added a few embellishments and enhanced the flavor a bit. I’ll list the original recipe with my changes in green. I thought the cake was completely cooled, but as you can see the icing started melting just a bit.  Good thing it didn’t change the flavor.

APRICOT COFFEE CAKE – adapted from Date & Cardamom Cake
CAKE
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cups soft dates, pitted (1 1/4 cups soft dried apricots)
1 cup water, (1 cup peach nectar)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom (1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
(1/2 cup dried ground lemon peel)
(1/2 cup small walnut pieces)
(1/2 cup golden raisins)
(1/8 cup cold coffee)
(1/8 cup spiced rum)

  • Chop apricots into small pieces and place in sauce pan covered with the peach nectar.  Cook on low until VERY soft!
  • Pour coffee and rum over raisins and set aside to soak.
  • Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper.**
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • When apricots are soft and most of the nectar absorbed transfer them to a small chopper and pulse until pasty.
  • In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together until smooth.
  • Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.
  • Sift in flour and spices gradually, mixing until well blended. Batter will be thick like cookie dough.
  • Drain raisins WELL.
  • Fold in apricot paste until evenly distributed.
  • Fold in nuts.
  • Fold in raisins.
  • Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
  • Cool cake COMPLETELY in pan before frosting.

NOTE:** I use a springform loaf pan for a “pretty” cake.

FROSTING
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
6 tablespoons, softened
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon boiling water (boiling  peach nectar)
Apricot pieces for decorating

  • Mix together the nectar and coffee granules until all coffee is dissolved.
  • Add coffee mixture to butter in medium mixing boil and blend well.
  • Add sugar, blending until smooth and creamy.

NOTE: I still had half a can of peach nectar so decided before I made a cocktail with the remains that I would substitute nectar for water in the frosting to enhance the flavor a bit.

CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

CREAM OF CELERY SOUP adapted from The Daring Gourmet
4 SERVINGS

1/4 cup butter
1 small Vidalia onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
2 cups very finely chopped organic deep green (for optimal flavor) celery
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose Wonder flour
2 cups rich chicken broth, skimmed of excess fat (I use homemade)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

  • Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
  • Cook the onions, celery and garlic until soft and translucent, 5 minutes or so.
  • Add the flour and cook for another minute, whisking until well blended.
  • Add the chicken broth milk and cream, stirring until smooth. Increase the heat and bring it to a simmer.
  • Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  • Season to taste.
  • Serve with a CADILLAC (Parmesan Roast Beef) or grilled cheese sandwich. YUMMY!!

NOTE: This recipe is roughly equivalent to two cans of prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup. You can enjoy it as a stand-alone soup  with a grilled cheese sandwich or use it in any recipe calling for prepared canned condensed cream of celery soup. If using as a base for other recipes, soup will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

CHEESY ITALIAN CHICKEN PASTA

I love this recipe because it is quick, simple and only uses a single pan!

CHEESY ITALIAN CHICKEN PASTA
8 ounces baby spinach leaves, divided
1-8 ounce jar Classico Sun-dried tomato pesto
1 medium large yellow onion, chopped
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite size pieces
6 garlic cloves,minced
1 pound dry linguine**
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning*
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup Chardonnay wine
5 ounces fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded

  • In a 5 quart large saute/stock pan arrange half the spinach, tomato pesto, garlic, onion, chicken and linguine on the bottom of te pan.
  • Sprinkle with the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.
  • Pour chicken stock and wine over top. Cover and bring to a boil over a medium high heat.
  • Cook 7-9 minutes until pasta is al dente.  Toss pasta with tongs occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. 
  • There will still be liquid in the pan when the pasta is done cooking and that’s perfect as it will be the base for the cheese sauce.
  • Turn off the heat and add the cheese to the pasta. 
  • Toss pasta with tongs until the cheese melts into the pasta. 
  • Toss in remaining spinach. 
  • Serve immediately and enjoy!

*If you don’t have any dried Italian Seasoning just make your own by combining 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.

**My pot is just a bit smaller than the length of linguine so I halve mine before putting it into the pot.